1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting information stored in a memory, preferably executed in a facsimile apparatus or the like, for storing the image data obtained by reading original images of plural documents into a memory and then transmitting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, in the facsimile apparatus or the like, the apparatus having functions for transmitting plural sets of identical or different image data that have been read by a reading unit, to plural destinations is widely known. Such facsimile apparatus is provided with a memory for storing plural sets of image data.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the stored information of a memory 1 in a conventional facsimile apparatus. When sending different image data to plural destinations, first plural original images of one to several pages are read by a reading unit containing a charge-coupled device (CCD). The image data delivered from the reading unit is coded by image processing such as data compression. The coded image data is stored in the memory 1.
In this memory 1, the image data is sequentially stored from the area of the smaller address number to the area of the larger number. For example, in FIG. 1(1), in store area S1, S2, image data corresponding to original images of one to several pages are stored, and when new image data is read, it is stored in a store area S3, next to the store area S2, as shown in FIG. 1(2).
In this way, the image data stored in the memory 1 is sent out sequentially to the facsimile apparatus at the destinations starting with the image data in the store area of the smaller address number.
The image data transmitted to the destinations by this operation is erased from the memory 1. For example in FIG. 1(2), when transmission of image data in store area S1 is over, the image data stored in the store areas S2, S3, . . . are shifted as shown in FIG. 1(3), so that the image data in the store area S1 is erased. Afterwards, the image data stored in the store area S2 is transmitted.
In the prior art, by shifting the image data stored in the memory 1, the image data that has been transmitted is no longer necessary and is erased.
When a large quantity of image data is stored in the memory 1, it takes a long time for such shifting action. In the facsimile apparatus, the reception action cannot be started until the transmission to plural destinations is over. Therefore, the convenience is inferior in the conventional facsimile apparatus taking a long time for the transmission action.